Parting of Ways
by Robyn1212
Summary: Merry and Pippin's thoughts on being separated in Return of the King. [Movieverse]
1. Merry

Merry

"Why did you look?" I asked angrily. "Why do you always have to look?"

"I don't know. I can't help it," Pippin replied.

Yeah, I thought. Sure. "You never can."

"I'm sorry, all right?" I cringed inwardly. He sounded so innocent. "I won't do it again." I couldn't believe it. He was treating this so frivolously; like it was something simple, like taking Farmer Maggot's vegetables.

I turned to face him. "Don't you understand? The enemy thinks you have the ring. He's going to be looking for you, Pip. They have to get you out of here." My voice sounded hollow by the end of that. He might not be a baby that needs looking after, but he's my baby cousin, and I don't want him to go anywhere I'm not going.

He voiced my concern, "And you-? You're coming with me?" I was silent. "Merry?"

I turned away to follow Gandalf. "Come on."

---

I took something out of my pocket as Gandalf helped Pippin mount Shadowfax. "Here, something for the road," I said while handing it to him.

He looked at me quizzatively. "The last of the longbottom leaf."

I nodded. "I know you've run out. You smoke too much, Pippin." I smiled, but there was no humor behind it.

Pippin looked stricken. "But-but we'll see each other soon. Won't we?"

It occurred to me that I may never see Pippin again. Not his michevous smile when we'd gotten away with something, or his worried look when we were almost caught. I felt my throat tighten. "I don't know." I swallowed. "I don't know what's going to happen."

I could see him getting scared. I was scared, myself. I understood that he had to go. It was so he'd be safe. But I wanted to go with him. Make sure he was okay. I always watched over him when he was little...even when I didn't want to. "Merry." He sounded so unsure. So...small, which is strange to say for a hobbit, but he sounded so young. Gandalf whispered something to Shadowfax before they took off. "Merry!" He looked so alone...so young. Like he was still in his tweens. And then I realized...he _was_ still in his tweens. Only 29. He was so young. And I was so scared for him.


	2. Pippin

Pippin

"Why did you look?" I looked down. "Why do you always have to look?"

I sighed. "I don't know. I can't help it." I didn't honestly know why I looked into the palantir. I just wanted to take a look. Just one.

"You never can."

I stopped, exasperated. "I'm sorry, all right?" Merry slowed down. "I won't do it again," I added.

When he turned to face me, I almost flinched. He looked so angry...but why? "Don't you understand? The enemy thinks you have the Ring. He's going to be looking for you, Pip. They've got to get you out of here!"

I didn't like how he said "you." I mean...wasn't he coming, too? "And you-? You're coming with me?" His silence was making me nervous. "Merry?"

He turned away from me and kept walking. "Come on." He was avoiding the issue.

---

I asked Gandalf something about Minas Tirith, but it was an automatic question as he helped me onto Shadowfax. I turned to see Merry holding out something to me. "Here, something for the road."

I looked at him questioningly. "The last of the longbottom leaf." Why was he giving me this? Unless he...

"I know you've run out. You smoke too much, Pippin." Unless he's thinking we'll never see each other again.

It was foolish to think we wouldn't, but why else would this feel like we were saying goodbye as if it were final. "But-but we'll see each other soon. Won't we?"

He quickly glanced at Gandalf before saying with a choked voice, "I don't know." I saw unshed tears in his eyes. Merry didn't cry often. "I don't know what's going to happen." I felt my confusion grow. Then I realized that I didn't know what was going to happen, either. Usually that was okay, but this was a bad unknown. In the Shire, we didn't know if we'd get caught in our pranks or not; and now we didn't know if we would die or not.

Merry backed away, as if physically distancing himself from me. "Merry," I said hurriedly. "Merry!" I yelled as Shadowfax began our journey, and I had to resist the urge to jump off and run back to Merry.


End file.
